Sucktacular Synopsis Stigma

Most fiction writers will probably agree on one thing if nothing else: writing the synopsis sucks.

Period.

In fact, it's a current discussion in The Romance Room email list.

In that same vein, I found some helpful links on writing a synopsis (obviously this is more geared to fiction writing than non-fiction).

• http://www.writing-world.com/publish/synopsis.shtml
• http://www.kathycarmichael.com/synopsis.clearwater.fiction.html
• http://www.writing-life.com/fiction/synopsis.html
• http://www.fictionfactor.com/articles/synopsis.html
• http://www.charlottedillon.com/synopsis.html

Feel free to post in the comments any tricks and tips you have for writing your fiction synopsis. Do you write the synopsis before or after? (I was surprised and a little disturbed to find some write it first... *LOL*) How do you condense a 75k or more word novel down to 2-5 double-spaced pages of text and have it make sense? What do you do? Let's have it, don't be stingy with the advice.

I personally have used the condense each chapter/section down to one sentence, see what you have, build it from there and smooth it out method. That works well for me.